Peter Goldschmidt
Peter (pronounced PAY-tur) Goldschmidt is a human rogue from Orim. Background Peter was the first child born to a baron in the Crownwright League. His ancestors had amassed a fortune through their extraordinary skill as goldsmiths, and his childhood was as happy as his house was prosperous. He excelled in his studies and continually impressed his parents as he grew up alongside his younger brother and two younger sisters. His noble bearing and keen mind convinced his father's friends that he was more than fit to inherit the barony. Not long after finishing school, however, Peter made a decision that changed the course of his life. His father allowed him to choose between serving in the military or practicing a trade until he claimed his birthright, so Peter began working as an appraiser and antiques dealer. One day, he was approached by a customer who wanted to sell him a relic stolen from an Eldenari church. Peter was reluctant to deal in such goods at first, but the money he was offered in return for his silence convinced him that the business would be worth the risk. The grateful customer referred his fellow rogues to the shop, and Peter Goldschmidt soon developed a reputation as a fence. Though he felt a twinge of guilt for breaking the law and dealing in stolen relics, the extra revenue was enough to dissuade him from abandoning his new business model. Eventually, one of Peter's less savory clients unwittingly led the local law enforcement officials to his shop. They discovered and confiscated the stolen relics and closed down the shop, and Peter was scheduled to stand trial for his crimes. His father, furious to learn of his son's irreverence towards the law and religion, disinherited him as punishment. Peter's birthright passed to his younger brother, and he was no longer welcome in his family's home. Peter knew the consequences for dealing in stolen property, and dealing in stolen religious relics in particular put him at risk of being tried for heresy. Unwilling to suffer imprisonment or worse for his crimes, he stole away into the night before his trial could take place. His limited exposure to the life of the rogue had been intoxicating, so he turned to petty theft and odd jobs to survive as he fled ever deeper into the Eldenari Empire, away from the authorities and his homeland. He also attracted the attention of a fellow streetwise noble who sought to escape an arranged marriage, and took her on as an apprentice. Fortunately, Peter managed to avoid being identified and arrested for years, but he knew that he would never be able to regain any semblance of his former glory by living as a common thief. As he sat in a tavern nursing an ale after an especially rough day, he overheard a couple of men talking about the faraway land of Arim. It sounded like the perfect place for a cunning, ambitious young man to carve out a new empire, and crossing the sea meant that he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. After informing his apprentice of his plan and chartering passage on a ship called The Astral Gale, Peter Goldschmidt prepared to seek his fortune in the New World. Description Peter has pale skin, deep blue eyes, and thick, curly black hair that frames his head like a lion's mane. The only facial hair he grows is a goatee, which he keeps neatly trimmed. He rarely smiles, and his eyes tend to wander as he speaks. He is proud of his noble background and will dress and dine as well as his finances allow. At 5'8" and 130 pounds, he does not strike an imposing figure, and his weak immune system makes him prone to frequent illness. Though his health is questionable, both his mind and his body are extremely nimble, and he often notices things that others overlook. Personality Peter is an opportunist first and an intellectual second. A natural planner who thinks primarily of himself and his own gain, he will weigh the risks and rewards of a course of action carefully before committing to it. He chooses his friends and associates based on what they can offer him and does not give them his trust readily. He is not, however, devoid of loyalty or gratitude, and he lavishes rewards on those who impress him. He enjoys being in positions of power, though his love of planning and manipulating situations to his benefit makes him more suited to a role as an advisor than a ruler. Peter's intelligence sets him apart from most of the people he meets. Years of being forced to live by his own wits have given him great analytical and observational skills, but they have also made him stubborn and arrogant. Though he thrives on debates, he does not change his mind easily, and he feels no shame in talking down to those he considers his inferiors. He is also a staunch materialist, valuing physical goods over everything else, and has great difficulty understanding those who place higher value in spiritual concerns and fulfillment.